"I can't say for certain; D'slay always said to forget those things because they didn't matter."
"Of course he did."
"Do you recall going to Falchan—to help Stone Wicke and Reddy Cordrifith plant poison?" Graegar asked.
Gray eyes met mine. He remembered escaping from there, after a vampire relieved Stone and Reddy of their heads.
"Where is Gavin now?" I turned to Graegar.
"With Drake and Drew," he shrugged. "I beg you not to read it in me just yet."
Closing my eyes, I drew in a calming breath. "All right—I assume you have a good reason."
"You will know more soon."
"Thank you." I turned back to Toad. "I dislike calling you Toad—it doesn't suit you at all. Do you have a name you'd prefer?"
"Eli."
"Eli, are you comfortable enough? Do you need or want anything, other than your freedom?"
"I have more here than I ever had with D'slay."
"I'll make sure you have fresh water at your disposal all the time, and snacks and juice in-between meals." Feed him vegetable proteins only, and all the fruit and vegetables he wants, I told Graegar.
I'll see to it, he agreed.
I think the animal protein D'slay was feeding him made him ill.
You suspect something, don't you?
Yes, but we can't discuss it here.
"You think he's a descendant of the Grey House wizards?" Nefrigar lifted an eyebrow at my statement.
"He has the look of many of them, especially along the lines of Raffian Grey—and his father, Glendes."
"DNA will tell," Valegar suggested.
"I will return shortly." Graegar disappeared.
Queen's Palace, Le-Ath Veronis
Lissa
"Eli is a half-brother to Glendes Grey."
Zaria's words stunned me. "Glendes' father had an indiscretion?"
"It looks that way, and that means Eli was born long ago. More than thirty-thousand years, actually, because Glendes has been Eldest of Grey House for nearly that long."
"What else are you not telling me?" I studied Zaria's bright-blue eyes.
"I think Liron found him back then, and brought him forward, handing him to D'slay. Eli has many Larentii gifts, including bending time. This explains a lot of things, including D'slay's visit to Earth's past."
"They bought him when he was six—the right time to waken the wizard's gifts." I felt ill saying it aloud.
"Who knows—Liron could have manipulated his birth, too."
"Please say you don't think there are others."
"I can't say that with any certainty at all."
"Then we could have a virtual army of almost-Larentii, at the beck and call of the Prophet." My voice was high-pitched and close to hysteria.
"There may be other problems associated with this," Zaria stepped forward and placed her hands on my shoulders. A calming relief washed through me—she expended healing power to achieve it.
"Let me sit down, first," I begged.
"I'll sit with you. Before I say anything else, we need to include Strength, Wisdom and Love in our discussion."
"They're thinking about things," I told Winkler when the conversation with the original Mighty was finished. "Zaria went back to the Larentii homeworld to get some rest. I don't know where the Three went—they wouldn't say."
"You can't tell me what it was about, can you?"
"No, honey. Just believe that it's a problem they're working on, now."
"Sounds serious."
"It may or may not be. How's that for an answer? Damn, I'm tired."
"I think we can clear your schedule for the rest of the day, and have dinner sent to your suite."
"All right, but I'd like to have a talk with all my mates before that happens."
"I'll send mindspeech."
"Thanks, Winkler."
He leaned down to give me a gentle kiss. "We'll find Gavin, Drake, Drew, and your children. I swear it."
"Thanks, hon."
Grey House
Breanne
Glendes Grey knew something was wrong; he merely waited for me to tell him what it was. He sat behind his enormous desk, his fingers steepled as he studied me, waiting for me to speak.
After so many years of being Eldest of Grey House, he'd finally learned patience.
He also owed me a favor.
Or three.
He probably wouldn't like what I was about to tell him. At all.
"You have a half-brother," I said. Glendes blinked in surprise.
"You can't be serious," he insisted after several seconds of mental shuffling passed. He was attempting to process information that refused to fit into any category in his mind.
"I am serious. The Larentii have confirmed it."
"Where?"
"Safe. From us and we from him. For now."
"He shouldn't be a danger—not in the powerful sense, if his ability was never awakened," Glendes said.
"Normally, that would be true," I agreed. "In this case, Eli's power was wakened, after he was bought from his mother at age six."
"Another wizard clan awakened it? They're the only ones who can," Glendes half-rose from his chair.
"We suspect that Liron woke his power," I said as calmly as I could. "We also suspect that Liron went looking specifically for—certain talents."
"What certain talents?" Glendes was now standing at his full height.
"Those that your many times great-grandmother Larentii passed to Grey House. While under D'slay's command, Eli exhibited the talents of bending time and nexus echo, among other things."
"Say it isn't true." Glendes leaned forward until his hands rested on the top of his well-kept desk.
"I can't say that, and you know it. The Larentii line still runs in your blood. Liron found the richest source and manipulated it for his own purposes. Then, he gave the boy to D'slay, so that fool could have a ride throughout time. Assassinate someone? No problem. Eli could bend time and remove him from the deed completely."
"You suspect that Eli was forced to assist in the assassinations, don't you?" Glendes sagged onto his chair again with a sigh.
"Ordered to, by obsession," I admitted. "D'slay is now dead, thanks to Lissa. It's also safe to say that the Prophet is pissed because of that, and probably even more pissed that the Larentii found Eli and took him away."
"Does the Prophet know the Larentii took him?"
"Not yet, and we hope he never finds out."
"I'd hate to be the one to declare war on the Larentii."
"As would I. There are other troubles associated with that concept, however, that I can't discuss with you now."
"What can I do to help?" Glendes said.
"I'm glad you asked," I smiled at him.
Corez
Vik
My greater Thifilathi lifted Denevik's smaller one and held him while his breaths came in short gasps.
"Corez is quite ill," a Larentii appeared, and, making himself as tall as I, looked upon Denevik, who struggled with the pain of Corez's sickness. "I doubt the ones who created this poison ever considered that High Demons might play a part in this."
With care, the Larentii placed his hand over the coin that held Corez's spirit. I closed my eyes when the healing light became so bright it threatened damage.
"Corez has been healed, with your blood and my power," the Larentii smiled at Denevik, who was now breathing more evenly. Setting him down, I reverted to my usual form while the Larentii decreased his size.
"Who are you?" I asked. "I can't recall seeing you before."
"I am Tenigar. You have seen me, but only from a distance," he replied.
"Can you take us back?" I whispered, while searching my mind for a reason a Larentii Wise One would become involved in Denevik's and my troubles.
"I will take you away from here, but you cannot return to the time and place you left. The reason for this will become clear eventually."
"Where, then?"
"A place where no damage can come from your presence."
Somehow, that sounded as if we were radioactive, or something.
Wait. Were we?
Kwark
Teeg San Gerxon
"Can you move?" I asked Ry for the third time. I'd carried him to a shady spot beside a boulder, because he no longer had the energy to walk. The longer he held the gold coin on his chest, the weaker he became.
"Need. Help," Ry's eyes were dimming as I knelt beside him. What could I do? My brother was dying in front of me and I had no skill as a healer, or anything with me that would help him.
"Do not fear," a Larentii was beside me, making me jump and my heart to stutter.
"What can we do?" I begged, once my heart and breathing normalized. Larentii were the best of healers, if they chose to use those skills.
"He needs energy, food and rest." The Larentii lifted my brother as if he weighed nothing. "Come, I will take you away from this place."
I opened my mouth to ask him where we were going, but he transported us before I could utter the words.
Galk
Rajeon
Morrett was suffering and there was nothing I could do to help. Healing was never a talent with the pod'l-morphs, because we were never ill. In all my life, I'd only seen one poison that could kill us, and it was the one planted on Siriaa in the past.
Even then, we had to come close enough to the source of it to die of its effects. When my people were instructed to dig deep, they'd reached that source to plant a collection sphere.
The subsequent gathering of the poisonous creatures overwhelmed the pod'l-morph involved, which caused their trees to wither and die. A terrible, prolonged death was their reward for helping to save the planet.
"If I die," Morrett began. I cradled his head in my lap, wishing I had something to lessen his pain.
"I refuse to allow it," I whispered.
"Tell Zaria how much I love her," he breathed, ignoring my words.
"You will tell her yourself." A Larentii appeared and knelt beside us. "I am Meligar, and I will relieve Morrett's pain before taking you away from here."
"I cannot thank you enough," I said, brushing away tears of relief.
Murazal
Nissa
Tears blurred my eyes as I sat on dried mud with Trik's head held against my chest. Toff was bringing handfuls of water, to attempt to bring down the sudden fever that assailed Trik.
I glared in anger at the gold coin, now adhered to his chest. We'd already tried to remove it, but it only made the pain worse.
I blinked—and blinked again to clear my sight, if only to make sure that the appearance of Garegar was real, rather than a dream.
"I am real," he assured me with a smile. "First, I will help Master Trik, and then I will take the three of you away from this place."
I couldn't hold back the sob of gratitude as Garegar began to heal Trik. Toff knelt beside me and held me while Garegar performed his healing.
Cloudsong—Distant Past
Breanne
"I barely recall the planet like this," Glendes and I walked a cobbled street of the capital city at dusk. In this time, Cloudsong had been ruled by a fair and just king. Many thousands of years in the future, it would be misruled and the planet would die, thanks to Zellar and his crimes. Eventually, Reah and Zaria would bring it back to life—to house people from a destroyed world.
"Your father is here; I tracked him to this point," I told Glendes quietly. I steered him toward a rowdy public house, where light spilled from windows and sounds of laughter could be heard.
"No doubt about it, Father did like his pints," Glendes sighed. "Please say we will not witness the indiscretion."
"We don't have to witness it; we only have to peg the woman and keep track of her," I replied.
Glendes scraped his boots on the board beside the outside steps; I cleared away dirt and mud from my shoes with power before following him into the pub.
Sure enough, Quendes Grey sat in a corner booth, a pint of dark beer in front of him and a woman sitting opposite. I suppose it's time to see who Father dallied with, Glendes sounded resigned.
You're disguised and the place is crowded; perhaps we should join them, I suggested.
Remind me to voice my objection later.
We'll only stay for a bit, then pretend to leave. I can shield us well enough that she won't know I'm tagging her.
How long must we watch?
Only until they go upstairs, and I receive ah, confirmation.
I feel ill. I suppose it's a blessing my mother never learned of this.
Probably.
"May we join you?" I asked Quendes with a smile. "There are no other seats."
"Please," he gestured with a hand. "Allow Koris to move to my side, and you can have her bench for yourselves."
Koris rose, aimed an angry glare at Glendes and me, then schooled her face and moved to sit beside Quendes.
Yep, she's the type to sell her kid, all right, I sent to Glendes.
Are you saying she accepts all methods of payment? His sending was dry.
That's what I'm saying, I agreed. She's pretty enough; I suppose that's what caught his eye.
Why don't we just render him sterile, so this entire episode will have no repercussions, Glendes suggested.
That could cause even more harm, in ways I can't begin to describe. Just bear with me in this, all right?
What will you do when the child is born?
I have a plan. Do you wish to be present?
It's my half-brother. I want to be there.
Good enough.
"Actually, I'm nearly finished with my pint," Quendes lifted his mug. "We'll leave the table to you." He drank the last of his beer, then nudged Koris. She stepped away from the booth; he followed. Glendes and I watched until they disappeared through a doorway, which led to the stairs and the upper portion of the pub.
How long will this take? Glendes asked as a barmaid arrived to take our order.
You can drink at least half a pint, I think.
"I'll have a pint," Glendes told our server. "And bring one for my companion as well."
You know I'm gonna change mine to wine the second it's set on the table, don't you?
What kind of wine?
Riesling, probably.
Make mine Riesling, too.
Unknown Medical Facility
Vik
Do you know these Larentii? Denevik, while sitting up in a hospital bed, now felt well enough to sip a protein drink and look about him. The door was open to Denevik's room, and we watched as several Larentii passed back and forth, focused on duties we couldn't decipher.
"Ours introduced himself as Tenigar," I shrugged. "I don't know where we are, but at least you're not dying. I'm just grateful the Larentii came for us."
"What happened? My mind is blank after this," he tapped the coin on his chest.
"Let's just say it wasn't pretty," I told him. "Tenigar says you did better than most would have because you're High Demon."
"Tory?" Drake wandered into the room.
"Uncle Drake," I breathed before rushing forward and pulling him into a hug. He thumped my back a few times and grinned when I let him go. "Damn, I'm glad to see you're all right," I said. "Are Drew and Gavin with you?"
"They are, although Drew is wearing Falchan, now," he tapped his chest and nodded toward Denevik. "I hear you have Corez," Drake told him.
"Oddly enough," Denevik lifted his drink to Drake.
"The Larentii brought in the others, too, but one from each world is sicker than Denevik, so they'll take more time and more healing before they'll be ready to get up and around."
"Who are the others?" I asked, feeling confused. "What worlds?"
"Sit down," Drake pointed to guest chairs in the room. "It's a long story."
Cloudsong, Distant Past
Zaria
"You're sure she's tagged?" Glendes mumbled as we walked out of the pub and onto the street.
>
"She's tagged. Let's fast forward a few months." I took his arm and bent time, to check on our pregnant quarry.
Unknown Medical Facility
Teeg San Gerxon
"Dad?" The comp-vid dropped from my lap as I stood quickly; I'd been seated beside Ry's bed, waiting for him to wake and playing a stupid game to waste time.
After all, I couldn't get the comp-vid to connect to anything anywhere, so I had to settle for a game embedded in its memory.
My father, Gavin Montegue, stood in the doorway to Ry's room, a strange expression on his face. "Son? How did they manage to take you, too?" he asked.
"The Larentii do what they want, I guess," I replied.
"I'm not talking about the Larentii. I'm talking about whatever it was that took us away from where we were."
"Oh. I have no idea," I confessed. "When we landed on Kwark, it was dead or dying. We found Kwark's spirit, but he was nearly gone, too. Things went south fast when Ry and Kwark, well," I didn't know how to explain their joining.
"I heard about that," Dad sighed. "Come here and give me a hug. I feel as if it's been forever since I saw you last."
"Do you know where we are?" I asked as I moved toward him.
"No idea, and the Larentii won't tell us. I figure it's for our safety, and perhaps theirs, too."
"Who could threaten the Larentii? Who would threaten the Larentii?" I asked as Dad pulled me against him.
"Strange things are happening, Gavril," Dad's voice was muffled against my shoulder as he spoke my given name. "In this case, your mother would say, don't poke the bear."
Cloudsong, Distant Past
Breanne
Well, that explains a lot.
I'd taken Glendes four months into Cloudsong's future, to check on Koris. We found her, just as she was beginning to show. She had a visitor in her room above the pub, and one who wasn't interested in sex with her.
Who is that? Glendes asked about the male guest.
It's better if you don't know. Watch and listen, I warned.
Blood Alliance Page 24
